Though it is available in supplement form, collagen is a protein that is already found naturally throughout the body. Made up of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, among others, collagen is the primary ingredient that gives structure to our bodies, from our connective tissue to our bones to our skin, hair, and nails. It also helps store hydration in the skin, keeping us looking healthy and strong. 

In our youth, our bodies produce great quantities of collagen regularly, but over time, our natural collagen levels start to lower. This is an unavoidable part of the aging process, leading to many of its telltale signs: wrinkles, fine lines, and more. Fortunately, supplemental collagen offers the opportunity to reverse some of these symptoms, not only introducing new collagen into the body but helping boost its natural collagen production. This has been shown to greatly reduce signs of aging, including restoring skin elasticity, enhancing skin strength, improving hair and nail health and more. 

Supplemental collagen comes in a variety of different formats: collagen powders, gummies, capsules, and of course liquid options are all available on the market. (There are also topical forms of collagen, found in skin care creams and ointments.) When choosing the form of collagen you'd like to take daily, it's important to think about your habits and tastes. The way to truly support collagen synthesis is by taking a collagen supplement every day over a long period of time. This means you'll want to pick the format you're most likely to want to take regularly.

Beyond delivery format, there are actually different varieties of collagen that are featured in different supplements. The most pared-down and effective of these is marine collagen peptides. These are especially effective because they are designed for the deepest and most direct absorption of any type of collagen on the market. 

But wait – why not get collagen directly from food? While there are many foods that contain collagen, they are not as abundant and diverse as, for example, foods containing vitamin C. This means that replenishing your levels of collagen through diet alone can be extremely difficult, if not altogether impossible. 

So what are the advantages of taking your collagen supplements in liquid form? Versatility, flavor, and convenience are just a few of the top reasons. There are unexpected ways you can incorporate this form of collagen into your daily diet, from mixing it into smoothies, juices, and even salad dressings to freezing it for a tasty and nutritious summer popsicle.

This flexibility is a huge draw for those who already take supplements and know how tired one can get of the same thing every day. After all, nutritionists agree that the best supplement for you is one you'll truly take every day – in other words, it doesn't matter how effective your supplement is if you don't take it frequently enough. 

If you're looking for a supplement with the benefits you're looking for and a flavor you won't tire of, take a look at Supermood's own liquid collagen Glo Pops. Each stick is packed with 3mg of marine collagen alongside vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, elastin, and biotin, all of which enhance the effects of collagen. Tasty and adaptable, our Glo Pops are designed so that you can fit them into your diet however you see fit. 

The balanced ingredients in Glo Pops provide wide-ranging benefits, including the following:

Collagen is perhaps best known for its effects on the skin's appearance. Indeed, collagen is a crucial ingredient in our skin's strength and elasticity, partly due to its ability to retain moisture in the skin. Indeed, dermatologists studying collagen found that taking daily supplements can help improve skin hydration, reducing dryness and contributing to an overall skin glow. In other words, the hype is real. 

In fact, many are familiar with collagen because of its role in cosmetic dermal fillers, which many use out of a desire to reduce wrinkles and boost the overall appearance of their skin. Perhaps needless to say, ingestible collagen supplements will not have the same effect. However, they will provide you with milder, subtler doses of the substance that will help give your skin a natural lift. 

One of collagen's other primary functions is supporting the joints and bones, which are also parts of the body where it naturally appears. This means people take collagen for symptoms of arthritis and other forms of joint discomfort, finding it can alleviate pain and increase mobility. This is another terrifically positive effect of collagen that can make it an ideal supplement for anyone, from athletes to those living with mobility issues. 

Collagen is also found in the hair and nails, meaning regular supplement use can improve their quality as well. In fact, if your nails are brittle and subject to easy breakage, regular collagen use can help with nail growth, strengthening them in the long term. 

In a similar vein, collagen can also help return your hair to its youthful luster and strength. Indeed, people who are focused on improving their hair tend to look to shampoos and other topical products, but what we consume is equally important. Taking supplemental collagen can boost your hair health, offering another way to take years off your appearance and look as vital and fresh as you are. 

As we learn more about the gut in the body's overall functioning, it becomes clearer how crucial it is to maintain a healthy digestive system. Collagen is commonly known for its support to the hair, skin, and nails, but recent studies have also shown that it can help reduce digestive symptoms such as bloating in healthy people. 

This poses a whole new frontier for collagen research, which has previously been focused on skin care. Those who are invested in nutrition can expect these recent discoveries linking collagen to healthy digestion will mean a new influx of studies on the impact of collagen on the microbiome. 

In addition to all of the above, collagen has been shown to have antioxidant properties that can be helpful to processes throughout the body, fighting off free radicals and helping to lower risk of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Hydrolyzed collagen in particular is well-regarded for its antioxidant properties.

Thanks to the emerging belief that collagen supports gut health, medical scientists are now considering the possibility that it is also useful to healthy immune function. This in part has evolved out of emerging research on the microbiome, sometimes called the body's "second brain," which helps regulate our immune systems. 

Generally speaking, collagen is safe to take, with few to no known side effects. Dermatologists recommend the average person takes 2.5 to 15 grams daily. Most collagen supplements, including Supermood's Glo Pops, feature a dosage in this range. 

It is also worth noting that many collagen supplement formulas are derived from animal sources, such as bovine collagen. The marine collagen peptides recommended in this article are (perhaps unsurprisingly) primarily derived from seafood, including fish, shellfish, and jellyfish. However, there are an increasing number of vegan collagen options available as well. 

There are a few other ingredients that can help maximize the effects of collagen supplements, including vitamin C, zinc, and hyaluronic acid. You may be able to find supplements that contain all of these ingredients together to streamline your daily routine.